David Laws' expenses

[longfingernailspaintedblue]

I really thought he was the very best of the Lib Dems.

Given his fortune he obviously doesn't need the expenses, but hiding his landlord/partner from the authorities is unacceptable, even if it was to hide his sexuality.

I'm completely shellshocked.

So, he's been outed as gay just this week?

Well if having a joint bank account is what makes you a couple dp and I are clearly aren't despite 20+ years together and a child

they know what he looks like now

What BeenBeta said.

Labour, if you are reading: I don't think picking off members of new Govt one by one (one tactic amongst many that might help break the LibCon deal, force early election etc) will deliver us a new Labour nirvana instead.

LibDems: please check all your closets. You need to be prepared for more of this.

I follow politics but I had no idea who he was when he was given his position in the cabinet. And he just looks bloody miserable all the time, verging on smug with delusions of Mandelson.

He is obviously not as clever as he thinks he is

StewieGriffinsMom

I don't think that explanation is particularly credible, given his record in the dark arts.

Thursday night, Alastair Campbell looks like the cat that got the cream making sure that anyone with a passing interest in politics knows who David Laws is. Friday night, Laws is outed in public.

Do you remember how Labour tried to smear the victims of the Paddington rail crash? Of course, they had the whole Damian McBride culture too. And poor Dr David Kelly...

Laws is now like Gordon Brown, with his head in his hands, a repentant sinner. It makes you wonder why whoever released it now didn't release it during the election. It would have sunk the LibDems for sure, but Laws was allowed to get away with it and the LibDems got into power.

Prolesworth

In all your years watching politics, how many times have you seen someone in one party carry around a photo of another?

If it was Campbell, then he has done us a service. Let them stop playing by the public school Queensberry rules and tell us the truth about the lot of them. We need a new broom.

Your faith that Alastair Campbell is only a little flawed, not a monster willing to sink to any depth for political gain, is quite touching.

And yes, the government has their dark arts spinmeisters as well - Andy Coulson is the main one.

But Campbell has a history of smearing opponents.

I am not defending Laws but I do think it is very plausible that Campbell was involved in trying to destroy Laws after he completely wiped the floor with Labour in Parliament earlier this week.

I just don't get why he did it .... he certainly didn't need to.... Just seems to be part of this 'I'm entitled to it' culture. My expense forms at work clearly state that it is legitimate expenses accrued doing the job (with supporting receipts) not a 'top up'to my salary....

maybe Number 10 had got wind of the fact that Campbell might drop Laws in it on national TV. Maybe the BBC was hoping for a huge scoop. In this case I think the end really does justify the means, and I hope that more of them are exposed for what they are.

I suspect Laws not appearing on Question Time was more to do with the fact that he knew this story was making the rounds and about to come out.

If it had been released during the election campaign, I'm not sure it would have done as much damage as it has now. Laws wasn't chief sec to the treasury then.

As for the people crying boo hoo it's all the nasty papers, what do you expect them to do, cover up the truth? Truth is Laws is a liar, a cheat and a fraudster. And clearly not fit to hold high office. Much less decide how much tax the rest of us have to pay, ffs. Even if he was a minister in a different department, this shows his judgment is crap.

claig

I agree - I am glad the story has come out, because what David Laws did was wrong.

Your post does give a plausible explanation for the Beeb's completely over-the-top reaction though.

Blackduck, I think that many of them think they are entitled to it, it is their due. They think they are doing us a favour by being MPs, when they are supposedly so clever that they could be earning millions elsewhere. There is one law for them and one for us. I'm starting to come round to voting for the House of Lords and am all for putting lollipop ladies in there, or Gillian Duffy etc, not the Sue Nye millionaire Goldman Sachs bankers' wives. Let's get some ordinary people in there with common sense and a sense of rectitude.

edam it would have sunk the LibDems with their holier than thou attitude. Where would it have left Clegg with his platitudes of a new fair politics? It would then have been a straight battle between Labour and Tories. Labour may have stood a chance to win. I'm glad Labour didn't win because they would have choked off even more civil liberties and the new government is doing great things in that regard. I still think that it was intentional that Labour should never win the election and it was intended to bring a coalition in, in order to tame the Tories.